How to get from Suvarnabhumi Airport to Don Mueang or back

Getting from the international Suvarnabhumi airport to Don Mueang or back may be necessary if you have a flight change in Bangkok from regular airlines to budget airlines, or vice versa. You can find out which airport you have for arrival and departure from Bangkok in the itinerary receipt (e-ticket):

• Suvarnabhumi is indicated in the ticket - Suvarnabhumi Airport and the abbreviation BKK
• Don Muang is indicated on the ticket – Don Mueang Airport and the abbreviation DMK

The distance between Suvarnabhumi airport and Don Muang is 55 kilometers, and to move from one to the other or back, it usually takes an hour and a half, but taking into account the passage of passport and customs control, baggage collection and delivery, check-in, it should take at least four hours, and preferably even more. After all, if the arriving flight is delayed, or there will be delays in passing the control and issuing a visa, if you need it (see about a visa to Thailand, do you need it), then you will have a chance to be late for the next flight. At the same time, you will not receive any compensation for the delay, i.e. you will simply lose the cost of the ticket, since the flights are operated by different companies.

So, here are detailed instructions on how to get from one airport to another in the cheapest and fastest way:

Taxi

• Cost: 500 baht (approximately 15.32 USD, see currency of Thailand, exchange rate)
• Travel time: from 40 minutes
• Period of work: around the clock

Taxis between airports are relatively inexpensive, and this is the fastest way to get there. If you do not get to the traditional taxi wiring, then the trip will cost you about 500 baht. Payment is only in local currency, so you will have to spend a few minutes at the airport for the exchange.

Taxis can be ordered at the counter, which you will find in the arrivals area (Arrival Hall). In Suvarnabhumi, follow the "public taxi" signs, and in Don Muang it's even easier, you'll see it right after baggage claim. Only by ordering a taxi tincture you guarantee yourself that you will be taken at the "right" price on the meter. If you order from "helped" near the counter or on the street when leaving the terminal, you will almost certainly be "heated" by 2000 baht or more for a trip without a meter.

The queue at the counter is electronic, i.e. you must first receive a ticket with the queue number. When your turn comes, the operator at the counter needs to tell the destination, after which you will receive a coupon. With this ticket, you need to go to the exit from the terminal, and there transfer it to the driver.

If you have mobile internet or connect to the airport WiFi network, then you can order a taxi through the application, and it is often cheaper than the official one at the counter. Uber doesn't work in Bangkok, you need to use Grab, Maxim or InDrive apps instead. In all applications, you will see the cost of the trip immediately before ordering, and you can pay in cash at the end or link your card in the online payment application (Russian bank cards do not work).

But there may also be problems with ordering a Public Taxi at the counter – a long queue. Sometimes you can stand for an hour. If you are in a hurry and there is no way out, then you will have to use the services of "helped" at speculative prices. A more reliable option is to order a tourist transfer. This is the same taxi, only more comfortable and arriving at the time of arrival of your flight. A driver with a sign will meet you at the airport, and after receiving your luggage you will immediately be able to go to another airport. You can order a transfer using the search form:

And another tip: if you are traveling together, after passing through passport control, split up, and while one of you will receive your luggage, the other takes a queue for a taxi.

Free bus

• Cost: free
• Travel time: from 40 minutes
• Period of work: 05:00 – 24:00

Free Shuttle Buses run between the airports every 12-30 minutes from 05:00 to 24:00. To use them, you need to show a printout of an electronic ticket or boarding pass for a flight from the airport at the counter. These counters are located on the street at the exit from the terminal: at Suvarnabhumi Airport at exits No. 2 and No. 3 (Gate 2, 3), in Don Muang immediately at the exit from the terminal to the left.

Shipping periods:

• 05:00 – 08:00, 11:30 – 15:00, 19:30 – 24:00 every 30 minutes
• 08:12 – 11:00, 15:12 – 19:00 every 12 minutes

City buses

• Cost: 35 baht (approximately 1.07 USD)
• Travel time: 1-1.5 hours
• Period of work: around the clock

There are two city bus flights between the airports:

• Route #554. Around the clock, every 15 minutes
• Route No.555/S2. From 05:00 to 22:00, every 15 minutes

This is the official schedule, in fact they go much less often. In addition, it is possible that the routes may be canceled, like other previously existing buses from the Suvarnabhumi airport, since they have become simply unnecessary due to the advent of the airport metro, so check before traveling.

These buses from Suvarnabhumi depart not from the terminal, but from a special airport bus station called the Suvarnabhumi Bus Terminal (Public Transportation Center). In turn, the Suvarnabhumi Bus Terminal (Public Transportation Center) from the terminal exit on the ground floor can be reached by a free airport shuttle bus, which runs around the clock with a frequency of 2-19 minutes, depending on the time of day, 10 minutes on the way. In Don Mueang, buses arrive at a public transport stop in front of the terminal. To get to the airport, you need to cross the pedestrian crossing over the road.

From Don Muang, these buses depart from the bus stop on the highway from the terminal side. You need to get out of the terminal and walk a few minutes to the left, and you will get to this stop. Upon arrival at the Suvarnabhumi Bus Terminal (Public Transportation Center) near Suvarnabhumi, you will again have to use the free shuttle bus to get to the terminal entrance.

How to get from Suvarnabhumi to Don Mueang at night

Unfortunately, free shuttle busses do not run at night, so there are only two options left – taxi or city bus No. 554. But given that bus number 554 may stop working or may be limited in time, it is better to count on a taxi, which will cost about 500 baht. If you still decide to try to get there by bus, and already at the Suvarnabhumi Bus Terminal (Public Transportation Center) in Suvarnabhumi it turns out that the flights have been canceled, then you can take a taxi from there. There is also an order counter there, just like in the terminal.

And don't forget that there are queues at the taxi counter at airports very often, and if you have a minimum time between connections, it makes sense to order a taxi in advance, which you can do using the search form above.